Mario & Luigi: The Rainbow Star
by MultiShadow101
Summary: Mario and Luigi face their biggest challenge yet as they compete against friends, rivals, and enemies in the Mushroom Grand Prix Racing Tournament! But all's not fun and games, for behind the curtains lurk dark conspiracies, schemes of revenge, and an evil plot that threatens to the change the rules of the entire game forever.
1. Prologue

_The Rainbow Star_

_**Prologue**_

* * *

_Bowser tapped the armrest of his throne with his claw as he stared across the hall. Bowser Jr. sat by his feet, smashing Mario dolls with a big hammer, while Kamek stood before him, facing the door with his scepter held at the ready. Six Koopatrols were prepared to pounce on the intruder that was storming the castle._

_Not since last winter had the castle faced such an attack. The intruder had made short work of Bowser's elite guards, and the Koopa king knew it had come seeking an audience with him. Bowser was highly intrigued. Not simply because he was impressed with the intruder's prowess but because it was a lone Magikoopa._

_Bowser Jr. smashed a Mario doll to pieces, then suddenly looked in the direction of the door. A bead of sweat fell from Kamek's head. Sounds were coming from behind the doors. They flew wide open with a bang, and the Magikoopa entered. She was old with white hair, and she wore a pair of horn-rimmed glasses, a purple robe and a matching witch's hat. And in her hand she carried a scepter like Kamek's. The Koopatrols were about to attack her, but Bowser's raised hand commanded otherwise._

_"Lord Bowser," the Magikoopa said, "forgive me for dropping in like this, but it's a very high honor to finally meet you face-to-face."_

_"What the devil are you doing here?!" Kamek suddenly spat._

_"Why, Kamek," the Magikoopa said with a nasty smirk, "is that anyway to greet your elder sister?"_

_"Kamek, you know this old crone?" Bowser asked._

_"I'm afraid so, my lord." Kamek was giving the Magikoopa a very disgusted side look. "This is my disgrace of an elder sister, Kammy Koopa."_

_"Pay no attention to this whelp, Lord Bowser," Kammy Koopa said, shoving Kamek aside as she made her way up. She approached Bowser and kneeled before him. "I served your father, the late Lord Growser, as his archmage shortly before you were hatched."_

_"Until you up and disappeared on us to who-knows-where," said Kamek. "We could've used your help that night when we invaded Toad Town.** Lord Growser** could've used your help. But instead, you abandoned us!"_

_"Hold your tongue, you ignorant cur!" Kammy now glowered, the tip of her scepter pointed right at him. "Don't you dare insinuate that I had abandoned the Koopa Troop or its ideals. I left to hone my magical skills so that I might better serve our clan. Believe me, it deeply grieves me that I wasn't there to aid our master, so I trained even harder to be better suited to serve his heir, our new king. So don't ever question my loyalty again, or I'll transform you into a Scutlet and squash you."_

_"Enough!" Bowser barked. His voice reverberated around the hall. The Koopatrols came to attention. "Kammy Koopa, I could care less about the past right now, but I am interested to know why you're here. Why return now after all these years?"_

_"I'm glad you asked," Kammy smirked, while giving Kamek a scathing look. "During my travels, I've been keeping in touch with what's been going on, and I believe I may have found a way for you to finally reclaim what you have lost, and obtain what you've been seeking, all in one fell swoop."_

_The hall suddenly fell more silent than ever._

_"Don't be absurd!" said Kamek. "You, of all people?"_

_"Shut up, Kamek!" Bowser hissed. "Seriously, Kammy? Are you sure?"_

_Kammy nodded. "Indeed, Master. This is the moment you've been waiting for. I have already dispatched an agent of mine to keep a close eye on things, but it will not be that easy. We must begin planning, now."_

_Bowser's mouth curved into a terrible grin; Kamek didn't like it. "Come closer, Kammy Koopa, and tell me more."_

_And as Lord Bowser and Kammy Koopa spoke, Kamek stood afar, sneering..._

* * *

_**Next chapter - Our story begins - one week earlier**_

* * *

_**NOTE: My profile has been updated again with new information regarding this story and the rest of the saga.**_


	2. The Town of Rogueport

_The Rainbow Star_

_**Chapter I - The Town of Rogueport  
**_

* * *

Mario peered into the shrinking distance as Skip sailed him, Luigi, Toad, and Toadette over the vast ocean. A town on the edge of the mainland was approaching. "We're coming in!" he said.

Toadette looked out from behind Mario. "Rogueport!" she beamed. "The town of thieves, crooks, and ne'er-do-wells alike! This is so exciting!"

"Only you would find a place like Rogueport exciting, Toadette," said Toad, who sat between her and Luigi. _She has no idea!_

Skip was flying in low, the toes of his large feet skimming the surface of the water. He loved being able to soar like normal birds did. And he loved that he was able to join Mario and the others on this adventurous and thrilling voyage. He was forever grateful to Merlon for this extraordinary gift he was given.

Skip rose into the air as he flew over the docks of Rogueport and then made his decent into the main square. A few bystanders that were about barely did more than bat an eye at them as they landed. _They must've seen even stranger things in this town,_ Mario thought. Afterward, Skip shrank back to his original size and hid himself under Mario's cap.

At first glance, Rogueport was very different from Toad Town — the sordid ambiance, the littered garbage, the chipped and graffiti-scrawled walls and buildings — and the gallows in the center of the square. Even some of the locals they saw walking around seemed rough around the edges, shady even. In fact, just now they witnessed two tough-looking Piantas in dark suits roughing up a pair of spear-wielding Craws over by a pub in front of them. In every sense of the word, this town was the exact antithesis of Toad Town.

"We are so going to get mugged," said Luigi, as they then saw the two Piantas race off to the west, while the two dazed Craws, who didn't look all that innocent to begin with, staggered off east. Luigi had strong misgivings about coming here. Who could blame him? Rogueport's reputation was well known in most parts of the world. But fortunately, their time here would be short. Rougeport was actually nothing more than a halfway point for them — their real destination was Glitzville.

"Relax, Luigi," said Mario. "Nobody's going to mug anybody, not while I'm around. C'mon, let's go ask somebody for directions."

In truth, it would've been far simpler to just have Skip fly them to Glitzville, but rules were rules. Glitzville could only be accessed via special blimps; any other methods were strictly prohibited. And the town of Rogueport just happened to be one of the designated spots that housed one of these blimps. Just then a kindly-looking fellow came running over to them. Hopefully he'd be able to save them the trouble of having to seek out some of the more unsavory residents for help. He was sort of blob-like, with a huge bushy brown mustache. He wore a red and white striped robe and a little red hat. And on his back he carried a large brown knapsack. He appeared to be a traveling merchant.

"HEY-YO," he said, tipping his hat to them. His mustached bobbed when he spoke. "You folks out-of-towners? That was quite an entrance you made."

Mario exchanged a quick look with Luigi before he spoke. "Thanks," he replied. "Say, can you help us out and tell us where we can find the Cheep-Cheep Blimp?"

"The Cheep-Cheep Blimp? Sure thing! Just go west from here and then take a north. You'll be there in no time at all." The merchant then fixed them with a look of interest. "So you're on your way to Glitzville, then, are you?"

"Yep!" Toadette said proudly. "I won four Rogueport Blimp Tickets from a special sweepstake; I was the number one-hundredth caller!"

"Well, congratulations, then, young lass," the merchant said. "In that case, might I interest you in an item or two? I sale very rare and special items you won't find in most places, even in Glitzville."

"Like what?" Toadette asked keenly.

The merchant beamed under his mustache, then began to unload the contents of his knapsack onto a rolled-out sheet. Some of the items he had did look interesting. There was a Boo Sheet, an Earth Quake, an Ultra Shroom, and a pretty pink and yellow frilly umbrella. Mario himself had his eye on the Earth Quake item. Then suddenly, something ran into Mario from behind. It moved so fast all anyone saw was a big blur of blue and white. Mario spun like a top, while Luigi caught the speeding blur flee shortly up north and disappear through an archway between the pub and the item shop on the left.

"Geez, that was rude!" Luigi glowered as he steadied a dizzy Mario. "Are you alright, Mario?"

"HEY!" Mario suddenly shouted as he dug into his right pocket. "That guy stole my coins!"

Fuming, Mario bolted after the thief immediately, with Luigi right behind him shouting, "I told you so!" They followed through the archway and ended up in a small and filthy back alley. This wasn't a particularly wise move on the thief's part since there was a giant brick wall over a story high that confined the entire alley. There was nowhere else to go from here. _The dope just trapped himself,_ Mario thought.

"Over there," said Luigi, pointing to the small building they'd seen to the right of the pub from the other side. It didn't have a front door, so it had mostly gone unnoticed. _Not a bad hiding spot for a thief._

Mario didn't bother to check if the door was locked or not. Instead, he brandished his mighty hammer and smashed their way in with a single blow. Luigi almost gagged once they entered the tiny space. It was even worse than a sty! The wooden floor was covered in so much trash you could barely see it. A dirty mattress leaned against the wall, flies buzzed above their heads, and the other end was cluttered with so much useless junk. An awful stench filled the air. But they did find the thief, who turned out to be a blue Bandit. Mario backed him against the left stained wall, still gripping his hammer.

"Uh...Fancy meeting you here," the Bandit said, his white face-like mask smiling nervously.

"Cut the chatter and give me back my coins before I nail you into the floor," Mario threatened. He was half serious, half bluffing; he couldn't decide which.

The Bandit didn't know either way, but that hammer was unnerving. "Alright, alright! Sheesh!" he yielded. "You got me. Take your coins back. Can't blame a guy for trying."

"We most certainly can!" Luigi scolded, as Mario removed himself. "If you're in need of coins, do what the rest of do and get a job."

Luigi then hastened from the vile hovel, with the need for a shower, and found Mario outside counting his coins. _Talk about a rogue's welcome, _he thought. It was now very clear to them how Rogueport got its name and earned its notoriety. In fact, they even hurried back to Toad and Toadette before they were possibly kidnapped and held for ransom. But Toad and Toadette were both actually fine when they returned to the square. They were just merely observing the gallows like a couple of tourists. The merchant, however, was nowhere to be seen. And Toadette was holding the pink and yellow umbrella she clearly had purchased from him.

"I got it as a souvenir for Princess Peach," said Toadette when asked about it. "Pretty, isn't it? It matches her colors perfectly!"

"She paid that swindler fifty coins for it," said Toad disapprovingly. "That was more than half of what she had, and it looks like any other ordinary umbrella. Rare and special, my foot."

"Fifty coins? No wonder he took off, then," said Luigi as he folded his arms.

"Well, I happen to think it was a great purchase," Toadette said defensively. "That merchant said it was special and I believe him. Since Princess Peach couldn't come with us on this trip, I thought it would be nice to bring something back for her. That's all."

It was true. Even though it would've been simple for her to obtain a ticket, Princess Peach was just too busy with her royal duties to have come along. It was just as well, though, Mario thought. This wasn't the safest place for a princess to be wandering around through. Her trusting nature and naivete would've been easy prey for the scallywags that roamed these streets.

With everything now settled, it was time to move on, so the little group followed the merchant's directions and headed west. They quickly noticed that Rogueport's west side was different from the rest. It was much cleaner, more secure, and had a touch more color, most of which came from the fountain and the large patches of pretty pink flowers around it. But there was no time to take in the improved scenery — the two suit-wearing Piantas they saw earlier were patrolling this area, so they quickly, yet covertly, hurried through another archway up north. Excitement then filled them, especially Toadette, as they exited to a small open station housing a magnificent and luxurious train.

"Wow!" Toadette said fabulously as she beamed at the locomotive's lustrous black and gold finish and the five multi-colored cars behind it. "The Excess Express! One of the most luxurious trains in the whole world! Oh, I've always wanted to ride this beauty and visit Poshley Heights!"

"Yeah, but I heard it takes three days to get there," said Toad. "Who can handle 3 days of Excess without getting bored?"

"Bored? Are you kidding, Toad?" Toadette said, as though it were completely outrageous. "The beautiful décor, the fine cuisine, the epic scenery as it passes you by, and all the interesting people you get to meet on board? Not to mention all of it culminating in a visit to one of the richest and most splendid villages in the world? How could any of that be boring?"

Toad blinked, then merely shrugged, while Toadette rolled her eyes and went back to her daydreaming. The Toad siblings had always been different from each other. While Toadette was adventurous and free-spirited, Toad was a little more laid back and rational. In a lot of ways they were like Mario and Luigi, who had come to see them as younger siblings.

"Maybe next time, Toadette," said Mario as he moved her along, her eyes still sparkling with splendor.

Interestingly, the train station also served as the blimp station. Just feet away, a Cheep-Cheep wearing a green tie and a white hat stood in front of a small green gate that contained a Warp Pipe. In the distance just outside the town, they could see the Cheep-Cheep Blimp itself standing on a grassy hillside.

"Good afternoon, folks," the Cheep-Cheep greeted with a wave of his wing-like fin. "I'm Stewart, the conductor of the Cheep-Cheep Blimp. This blimp goes to Glitzville. If you will be joining us on our flight today, I will need to see your Blimp Tickets."

Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Toadette showed him their tickets. "Very good, then. Follow me," Stewart said, and lead the party straight to the Warp Pipe.

One-by-one, all five of them jumped into the Warp Pipe and swiftly popped over to the hillside. The air and early spring breezes were fresh and invigorating. A far cry from the grungy atmosphere of Rogueport. And then their eyes swelled with astonishment as they gazed up at the Cheep-Cheep Blimp in front of them. True to its name, the blimp resembled an enormous Cheep-Cheep. Stewart himself was quite proud and fond of it, boasting that it was built in his likeness. _Except most Cheep-Cheeps already look alike, _thefour thought humorously.

"All aboard, folks!" Stewart said in a tone of enthusiasm as he hopped on over to the mechanical lift that would take them inside. They could tell that he really enjoyed flying the blimp every chance he got. _A fish that loves to fly rather than swim?_

The compartment they were in was rather small and compact. And since there weren't any seats, they all had to stand. But with what they were about to experience, nobody was complaining. Stewart was at the controls. "And here we go!" he said.

Mario, Luigi, Toad, Toadette, and even Skip looked out the windows as the two propellers on either sides began to spin, and the Cheep-Cheep Blimp slowly lifted off the ground. This was indeed very exciting. Higher and higher they rose until the ground below ultimately vanished beneath a fluffy white sea of clouds. The were so high up! And then they were home free. Glitzville, the floating wonder, was straight ahead, clear into the wild blue yonder. And as they sailed onward through the clouds, Rogueport became nothing more than a distant memory.

* * *

**_Next chapter - An exciting opportunity and a familiar, scrappy character await in Glitzville. _**


	3. The Glitz Pit

_The Rainbow Star_

_**Chapter II - The Glitz Pit  
**_

* * *

As the Cheep-Cheep Blimp came down to Glitzville, Mario and the others studied the area through the windows. The floating attraction had three main areas: an item store on the left, a juice bar on the right, and in the middle was the battle arena, the Glitz Pit. There was a huge landing zone, marked with a golden star, in the center of everything, and the blimp lowered to just a few feet above it.

As the Mario Bros. and the Toads disembarked via the lift, another Cheep-Cheep like Stewart approached them. "Welcome to Glitzville!" he greeted. "My name is also Stewart. I hope you enjoy your stay here, and at any time you wish to leave, just show me your blimp tickets, and I'll summon the Cheep-Cheep Blimp that brought you here. Easy as pie."

Indeed. As the Cheep-Cheep Blimp sailed away, the four, and Skip, took a moment to survey their new environment. Glitzville was quite the place. Miles in the sky and surrounded by clouds. It didn't get more breathtaking than that. And the people that they saw walking around looked like they were having a blast, too. A very brilliant change from Rogueport. Over by the Glitz Pit were several billboards that featured some its fighters, the reigning champion being chief among them. The large, smiling Chain-Chomp motif atop the building seemed to stare at them, as if they were being invited. It was time to head inside.

But first, lunch! Luigi just realized that neither he nor the others had eaten since departing from the Mushroom Kingdom, and it had been a long trip. And it just so happened that a pig-like creature named Mr. Hoggle ran a hotdog vender between the item shop and the Glitz Pit. Luigi offered to treat. As they were eating, Toad looked over and saw a wealthy-looking family of three Bob-ombs chatting over by the Glitz Pit. He blinked at the mustached gold-colored one wearing a black top hat.

"Hey, isn't that Goldbob over there? Didn't expect to see a guy like him here."

"Glitzville always draws in rich people like him," Toadette told him. "I heard they're always betting on the fights."

After they finished eating, they hurried into the Glitz Pit. The arena was Glitzville's main attraction that drew hundreds of people from around the world each day. And as such, it was sure to be crowded, so they wanted to make sure they got a good spot. Inside the fancy lobby, with its large, low-hanging chandelier and holographic data screens, the walls were plastered with several posters that featured more of the Glitz Pit's fighters, the champion still being prominent among them. The air, thick with intensity, was laced with muffled cheers that were coming from across the room and behind a pair of large red doors.

"A match must already be in play!" said Toadette. "C'mon, let's hurry!"

They bolted through the lobby and past the doors. The arena was massive, and the raucous cheering was almost deafening. Hundreds of people — Toads, Lakitus, Goombas, Doogans, Koopa Troopas, and many more were gathered around the giant, square-shaped ring, with many more seated in the grandstands that encompassed the arena. Toadette managed to lead the others through the thicket of screaming spectators, holding her umbrella close to herself, and found a spot close enough for them to get a great view, up close and personal. Three combatants were indeed in the heat of battle. Two, who appeared to be partners, were a Buzzy Beetle named Tanker and a young Koopa Troopa named Jr. Troopa, who appeared to be wearing the two halves of the egg he apparently had hatched from. And their opponent was the Koopinator, a powerful-looking Dark Koopatrol with sinister red eyes and clad in dark armor. Large moving stage lights and a huge jumbotron highlighted and captured every bit of the action.

But the battle appeared to be coming to a close. The Koopinator was looking worn-out, while his two opponents were more or less in tip-top shape. Jr. Troopa was flying above the ring on a pair of purple bat-like wings.

"Alright, Tanker," he said, "it's time to stomp this chump with our finishing move! Go!"

Tanker withdrew into his large, diamond-hard blue shell and shot forward in a furious spin. The Koopinator was too weak to move out of the way in time and was tossed above the ring, where Jr. Troopa attacked with an aerial slash and floored the Dark Koopatrol. The match was won. The crowd went wild. And then a blue-colored Clubba named Grubba entered the ring as the two victors, showered by confetti, stood side-by-side. He had fiery orange hair capped with a black fedora and he wore a green waistcoat and a red bow tie underneath a sleeveless black jacket.

"We got ourselves a winner! The Shell Titans!" he said loudly into his microphone, as the Koopinator was carried off by a pair of Lakitus. "Are you boys ready? Yer next match is with the champion himself! You've finally made it!"

"I say bring the champ on!" Jr. Troopa said with a fiery voice into the microphone. "Tanker and I will smack that giant chicken back down to the minor league with our devastating combos!"

"You heard it here, folks!" Grubba said as the arena filled with even more excitement. Then, as he began to go on, a gray-colored Lakitu holding a camcorder approached him and whispered something to him. Grubba's eyes lit up behind his shades. "Excuse me fer a sec, folks. Can someone shine a stage light over _there_!"

One of the stage lights moved, and Mario and Luigi suddenly found themselves in the bright center of attention.

"HOO-WEE!" Grubba exclaimed. "Well, I'll be a Goomba's uncle! If it ain't the famous Mario Bros., the Mushroom Kingdom's bona fide local super heroes!"

The five then heard mutters and whisperings among the crowd around them, and a new sense of thrill began to surge through arena. But over in the ring, Jr. Troopa growled at the attention that was being stolen from him. His dark little eyes narrowed bitterly at the two brothers, as Grubba jumped down from the ring to get up close and personal with them.

"To y'all who might not know, these two hammer-spammin' juggernauts hail all the way from the Mushroom Kingdom," Grubba said, his words slowly fueling the crowd with ever more fervor. "Why, it was these very two who had sent the king of terror, the spawn of evil itself, Bowser, packin' with his tail between his legs. You don't get much tougher than that!"

"HEY!" Jr. Troopa suddenly yelled from the ring. "Can we get back to us please? Forget those nobodies and call our next match already! We have a championship title to win here!"

And at that very moment, an idea came to Grubba, a deliciously brilliant idea._ Havin' these two fight in the ring would certainly boost the Pit's reputation, and my own! _Grubba's eyes twinkled and he smiled widely. He could barely even contain his giddy giggling. "How'd you boys like to participate in a li'l ol' exhibition match right here in the ring?" And as he expected, the masses swelled with suspense.

"Wow, really?" Mario asked, swelling with excitement himself. Luigi, however, not so much.

"Mmhm," Grubba nodded. "Right there with the Shell Titans."

"Hey, you can't do that!" Tanker objected. "We worked hard to get here. You can't just throw in an extra match like this just before we're about to take on the champion."

"Zip it, Tanker!" Jr. Troopa snapped. "I call the shots around here, remember? That pincushion Koopinator was one of the strongest fighters here and was a wimp. These goons won't be any different. Think of the glory and how much our reputation will skyrocket once we beat the famous Mario Bros. _and_ the champion. We'll be legendary!"

"Well, Mario Bros.," Grubba said, "the Shell Titans are eager to mix it up with ya'. How 'bout you?"

It took Mario but a moment to make a decision, and Luigi knew it'd be pointless to resist once he did. Didn't stop him from sighing, though. "We're game!" Mario said with a clenched fist. It was an awesome opportunity he'd be a fool to turn down. And after handing Skip over to Toad, he and a nervous Luigi jumped into the ring, seeing themselves on the jumbotron as they faced Jr. Troopa and Tanker. Jr. Troopa, in particular, looked like he was itching to tear them apart.

Grubba then re-entered the ring and placed himself between the opposing teams. The stage lights above were shining down. Grubba then spoke into his microphone with a level of anticipation that fired up every person in the arena "Alrighty, people! Stepping into the ring fer the first time, let's give it up fer the Merciless Hammer-Slammers, the Super Mario Bros.!"

"'Super'?" Luigi blinked, as Mario waved to the cheering crowd.

"You gotta admit," Mario said, "something about it just sounds...right."

Grubba then continued, "And in this special bonus match, they'll be squarin' off against the Glitz Pit's risin' stars, the Impenetrable Executioners...Yep, a fight to the finish with the Shell Titans!"

"Here we go, bro!" said Mario.

"You're gonna regret stealing our thunder!" said Jr. Troopa.

And finally, Grubba exclaimed, "Get yerselves ready to...BAAAAAATTLE!" and a loud gong sounded, signaling the start of the match.

"Here comes the pain!" Jr. Troopa said. His body flashed with a brilliant light and his wings reappeared.

As Jr. Troopa took flight, Tanker shot at the Mario Bros.. Mario and Luigi separated, and then Mario evaded a swooping attack from Jr. Troopa. Tanker came back around and began to endlessly sweep across the ring in his swift, undying spin. Constantly jumping over the Buzzy Beetle's incoming attacks while guarding against Jr. Troopa's left the Mario Bros. very little room to counterattack. Defense was their only option now until they could gain some kind of ground from which to strike back. But in the meantime, they tried to remain in or near the center of the ring. Once you were thrown from the ring, you were out of the match.

The heightened roars from the crowd were endless — and divided. Half seemed to be cheering for the Mario Bros. while the other half, the Shell Titans. Toad, Toadette, and Skip were among the loudest of the bunch, obviously shouting their loudest support for their friends. But then —

"Luigi, look out!" Mario suddenly exclaimed.

But it was too late. Tanker had caught the younger brother off guard and knocked him right out the ring. Mario narrowly guarded against an attack from Jr. Troopa when he saw Luigi hit the floor head-first over by the others. Now he was alone and up against two seemingly unbeatable foes. And they were only kids, for crying out loud!

"Are you hurt, Luigi?" asked Toad, as Luigi stood up and rubbed his head.

"Just my pride," Luigi sighed, "But Mario has his hands full now. How's he going to beat those two alone?"

How indeed? They watched as Mario dodged and guarded one swift attack after another. Jr. Troopa and Tanker were mercilessly tag-teaming him. Mario did his best to stay in the game, but he couldn't keep dodging forever; he had to do something that could turn the tide. Tanker now came straight at him. It was close. Mario guarded well but slid close to the north edge of the ring. Defeat seemed imminent. And then, as Tanker retreated, Jr. Troopa swooped in to deal the finishing blow. But Mario executed a timed jump and saved himself by bouncing off Jr. Troopa's under-passing head. Then, as he fell, he took out his hammer and slammed the ring with a thunderous blow. The entire arena reverberated, and Tanker was flipped helplessly onto his shell. Mario's follow-up attack was swift and sent the Buzzy Beetle crashing into one of the grandstands like Bullet Bill. But Mario cringed a little afterward. He didn't mean to use such force and was relieved no one was hit. Nonetheless, a fiery tumult burst from the spectators. Mario even caught the eye of an admiring Toad wearing a red fur coat and expensive jewelry who was sitting near the crash. What an upset!

Jr. Troopa's anger and bitterness boiled as he fluttered over the ring, listening to the masses throwing cheers to his opponent, cheers that should be for him. He poofed his wings away again and dropped down to meet Mario face-to-face._ Time to switch gears! _he thought.

"Giving up?" said Mario.

"You wish!" Jr. Troopa said hotly. "This match is mine! Tanker's not the only one sporting a tough defense! MORE POWER!"

Jr. Troopa's body glowed again like before, but this time, instead of sprouting wings, he closed himself within the two halves of his eggshell. Afterward he stood completely still, like a statue. Mario blinked. _What's he up to?_

The crowd wondered that, too. Apparently, this was one trick the young fighter hadn't used up until now. They waited for something to happen. And then Mario attacked, but when he landed his hammer, something strange happened. _Nothing_. Jr. Troopa remained firmly standing, the lights above gleaming off the smooth, white, and unscathed surface of his eggshell. And to Mario it felt as if he had just hit a block of solid steel.

Jr. Troopa laughed. "Good luck trying to break through my incredible defense, Mario! Nobody ever has!"

"Guess I'll be the first, then!" And Mario proceeded to whack his hammer over Jr. Troopa over and over and over again. But no matter how many strikes he dealt to him, nothing seemed to change.

Every blow rang throughout the arena like an explosive drumbeat. Mario wondered if Jr. Troopa's strategy was to prolong this and tire him out. _Like that's gonna work!_ he thought, and began striking tirelessly at Jr. Troopa's defense with even harder blows. Soon, something started to give away. Mario could feel it. _Almost there! _He clenched his teeth and raised his hammer high above his head, packing all of his strength into it. But when his attack landed, a small, yet unexpected burst of light erupted. Mario paused with his mouth ajar; so did Luigi. His hammer cracked, right before his very eyes. He was a little shocked, but then he saw that Jr. Troopa's shell had also cracked. The young Koopa popped up, his eyes swirling. He staggered a little bit, then fell forward. He was out cold, and the match was won.

Grubba and Luigi jumped back onto the ring as the crowd went wild than ever before and confetti rained down on the victors. A disgruntled Tanker came and carried a mumbling Jr. Troopa away on his shell.

"And the winner of this match, the Superrrrr Mario Brothers!" Grubba exclaimed. "I gotta say, fellas, that was one heck of a show you put on. The Shell Titans were lookin' like they had ya' on the ropes. But then, Mario, son, you pulled yerself from the claws of defeat, came back with a mighty vengeance, and pulled off a spectacular and stunning victory! Tell the audiences what it's like bein' a winner in the Glitz Pit."

"Pretty great," Mario replied modestly. Luigi, however, remained quiet, feeling embarrassed about what had happened. But he also couldn't stop looking at Mario's damaged hammer as Mario held it to his side. It was strange.

"Now, I have a sharp eye for spotting talent," Grubba said, "and lemme me just say you kids got skills! If you wanted to, I'd even wager you'd give the champion himself a run fer 'is money!"

"I'LL TAKE THAT BET!" roared a loud voice as a pair of doors at the left end of the arena swung wide open.

A stunned silence fell over the arena for but a moment, then exploded with wild screams as a huge and fierce bird-like fighter entered. His burly body was covered in bright golden yellow feathers and his powerful arms looked like they could crush solid rock. He had a large beak, big dark eyes, and a huge crest of flowing hair-like feathers. And around his waist he wore a large belt bejeweled with a glittering gold-colored crystal star.

The excitement in the arena skyrocketed to new levels, as the Glitz Pit champion, Rawk Hawk, now entered the ring.

* * *

**_Next chapter - The Mario Bros. VS Rawk Hawk!_**


	4. No Glitz, No Glory!

_The Rainbow Star_

_**Chapter III - No Glitz, No Glory!  
**_

* * *

Rawk gave the Mario Bros. a withering look as he folded his arms across his broad chest. Clearly, he didn't think very much of them. Mario and Luigi ignored it for a moment and looked around. The swell of anticipation in the air was greater than ever. Everyone, including their friends, wanted to see them fight. It was apparent that this match was not only inevitable, it was inescapable. Not that Mario nor Luigi had any plans of walking away to begin with. Far from it. Mario even met Rawk's glare with a tough one of his own. But Rawk merely found it amusing.

"So," the champion said, "you two think that just because you beat some over-sized Koopa and a little hatchling pipsqueak you have what it takes to go up against the likes of me? Me, the undefeatable reigning champion of the Glitz Pit? Give me a break! I could've beaten that Koopa chump blindfolded and with one arm tied behind my back. The only reason I didn't is 'cause you two posers got to him first."

Listening to the spectators gobble up those inflated and laughable words like a fancy feast was ridiculous to say the least. Still, Mario and Luigi held their tongues. In this instance, words were cheap and actions spoke louder, much louder.

Rawk saw the fire blazing in Mario's eyes in particular. _This could be amusing after all, _he thought as he gave an eager yet condescending smirk. Then he looked over to Grubba. "Alright, Grubba, since these featherweights are just itching to prove their mettle, why don't you go ahead and announce the match?"

Grubba nearly choked. "Seriously, there, champ? This is going to be for the championship title, ya know."

"Of course," Rawk replied as he removed his championship belt. The crystal star glittered brilliantly under the bright lights as he tossed it over to Grubba. "These people have waited long enough to see me dominate the ring, and since what's-his-face got the diaper beat off him, who better for me to wail on."

"Well, Super Mario Bros.," Grubba said, slinging Rawk's belt over his shoulder, "the challenge has been made. If you win this one, you'll be crowned the new champions of the Glitz Pit! ("Like that'll ever happen!" said Rawk) Do you accept?"

_Heck yeah! _Mario thought, the words bursting like fireworks in his head. Then he looked to Luigi, who surprisingly gave his full support, and said, "Let's do it!"

"Hot diggety-dang!" Grubba cried, the crowd cheering along with him. "Strap yerselves in people! This is the moment we've all been waiting for! In what is sure to be the match of the year, we have the Merciless Hammer Slammers facing off against the Glitz Pit champion, the Feral Nuclear Reactor himself, Rawk Hawk! Who will be the victor or victors in this battle to end all battles? Will Rawk Hawk remain as our undefeated champion, or will the Super Mario Bros. triumph and win the crown?"

"That's a no-brainer!" said Rawk. "Ready to be sent to the emergency room?"

"Ready to be served as a main course?" Mario fired back.

"Warriors," Grubba continued excitedly as he stepped backward, "get yerselves ready to...BAAAAAATTLE!"

The gong rang, and the match began.

"Alright, Super Lame-o Bros.," said Rawk, "since my victory is clearly in the bag, I'll let you make the first move! Just try not to bore me!"

Mario and Luigi ignored him. Their strategy was already prepared and Luigi was the first to make his move. He bravely charged at Rawk, who readied to intercept him, and bounded over him. Rawk was caught between the two brothers, unaware that this was the same tactic they had once used against Bowser. Nevertheless, he met it with a mocking smirk. "Amateurs," he said quietly.

As soon as Mario advanced on him with his damaged hammer, Rawk somersaulted over the plumber and nearly caused him to crash into Luigi. "Now, feel the power of the RAWK!" he roared, and then fearsomely launched himself at the confused pair. Mario and Luigi didn't have time to react. Rawk grabbed them both by their overalls and effortlessly tossed them across the ring. The crowd cheered and laughed.

"What the heck was that?" Rawk laughed loudly. "A prissy little Toad could've beaten that lame strategy! I thought I told you guys not to bore me! If that's really the best you got, this'll be over even quicker than I thought!"

Mario and Luigi recovered to their feet, somewhat embarrassed, and listened around them. Most, if not everyone, were shouting for Rawk. Even Toad, Toadette, and Skip's cheers were subdued.

"You hear that?" Rawk said. "They're all cheering for me! You chumps ain't got a snowball's chance of winning this! So why don't you do the smart thing and just give up? At least then you'll walk away with more than just your dignity in one piece."

"No way!" fired Mario. "Luigi and I have beaten guys much bigger and much tougher than you. We're not quitting and we're not going to lose."

"It's your funeral, then," Rawk said. "Let the record show that I gave you a chance to back out. Now it's time to unleash the full might of my awesome fury, and believe me, it won't be pretty! They're gonna be scraping you off the ring when this is all over!"

Mario and Luigi prepared themselves. This indeed did not look like it was going to be pleasant. Rawk sped in with a rush attack, and the ring exploded with a flurry of action. Rawk was no easy opponent. Even with both Mario and Luigi attacking him from multiple directions, he seemed to be merely toying around. Mario jumped at him with a hammer attack, but Rawk caught it with his hands and threw him aside, just as Luigi came at him with a high jump. He quickly grabbed the younger brother by the legs and threw him into Mario right as he was getting back up. Then he did an astounding backward leap outside the ring and launched himself off the wall of the arena in a flying elbow attack. The entire ring thundered as Mario and Luigi narrowly dodged what could've been a crippling blow.

"This isn't going well," said Mario as he and Luigi stood opposite of a grinning Rawk.

"Gee, you think?" Luigi groaned as he straightened his back.

Rawk laughed. "You guys are a joke! I mean, I knew this was going to be easy, but I didn't think THIS easy! Bowser has got to be the biggest loser on the whopping planet to lose to you! Harharharharharhar!"

"Alright, I've had just about all I can take from this guy," Mario said bitterly.

"Well, what do we do?"

"I think it's time we unleash some of those new techniques we've learned from Merlon."

"The Bros. Attacks?" Luigi said skeptically. "Are you sure?"

Mario nodded. "We've practiced them long enough. Now it's time to try them out against a real opponent."

"What are you two girls whispering about over there?" Rawk said impatiently as he tapped his foot. "Let's move on with the smackdown already! It's almost time for the grand finale!"

"You got that right," Mario said quietly. "We'll use the Knockback technique first, so get ready. Alright, chicken head, this is where Luigi and I show our real power, so come and get us!"

"Now you're talking! Let's RAWK!"

Rawk dashed across the ring with his iron-like fist hurled forward. Mario and Luigi evaded his attack with long jumps and got behind him. As Rawk, slightly surprised, halted and turned around, Luigi hit Mario on the head with his hammer and transformed him, as if by magic, into a red and blue ball! Rawk's eyes widened, and the crowd awed. Quickly, Luigi struck Mario again and sent him flying like a cannonball. He slammed into Rawk with a resounding boom and toppled him over like a bowling pin. A stunned silence fell over the arena, broken by the wild cheers of Toad, Toadette, and Skip. The rest then joined them.

Rawk recovered, though slightly winded, as he watched Mario change back. There was a slight change in the air. "Not bad," he said with a bit of a groan. "Guess you guys aren't as lame as I thought. But if you think one lucky shot's gonna change anything, you're sadly mistaken! Now, let's try this one one more time!" And he executed his high-flying backward leap.

Mario immediately called to Luigi. "Swing Bros., now!" he shouted, and grabbed his brother by the arms. Just as Rawk flew at them in his elbow attack, Mario spun Luigi furiously fast and hurled him straight at their incoming opponent. There was an echoing midair bang and both combatants dropped back to the ring.

"Impossible!" Rawk said in a stunned voice. "No one's ever countered that move before!"

"And we're just getting warmed up! Now, Luigi!"

The younger brother jumped at Rawk as Mario's hammer struck the ring with its earth-trembling power. Rawk was thrown off his balance, allowing Luigi to flip over him while scoring a hit to his head with his own hammer. Rawk then found himself caught between the brothers once again. His head was pounding, and he was starting to get angry.

"You're making a fool out of me!" he growled loudly, "But no more! Let's see how you like a taste of your own medicine!"

Rawk raised his angry, empowered fist and struck a blow to the ring that threw Mario and Luigi for a loop. "You're mine!" Rawk roared, and vengefully attacked Mario at once with a sliding kick that nearly sent him over the ring. The crowd gasped as Mario narrowly saved himself by hanging onto the edge. But Rawk was menacingly bearing down on him, the surface of the ring thundering beneath his feet. Luigi tried to thwart him from behind but was knocked backward with a punishing roundhouse punch.

"Har!" Rawk laughed at Luigi, who was brought to his knee. "So much for your power! You're as pitiful as — "

"Do you ever shut-up?" Mario said suddenly as he landed a surprise hammer attack to Rawk's head, then knocked him over with fast follow-up swing. Then, quickly, before Rawk was able to recover, he pulled Luigi to his feet. "This has gone on long enough," he said. "I'll go low, you go high!"

As soon as Rawk was back on his feet, Mario and Luigi tag-rushed him. He didn't even see them coming. Mario slammed his hammer on Rawk's foot, while Luigi bounced hard off his head. Rawk spat angry words. Lost in a haze of confusion and the pain of a flattened foot and aching head, he took a missed swing at Mario, only to have Mario _and_ Luigi retaliate with a double Ground-Pound, again to the head. It was the repeated blows to Rawk's noggin that were starting to overwhelm him. His vision blurred, his body wobbled like jello, and his skull throbbed like crazy. He could barely concentrate on what was happening around him. The tide of the battle was changing fast. Mario and Luigi were now the ones with the upper hand as they danced circles around him. Rawk was missing attacks and spluttering words unsuitable for younger ears. And most of all, the allegiance of the crowd had changed as well. Virtually everyone in the arena were now cheering for the Super Mario Bros., some even chanting their names. Mario and Luigi seemed to be getting a boost from it and kept their momentum up. They didn't let up for even a minute.

Rawk appeared to be reaching the end of his rope. The end was near.

"Time to wrap this up!" said Mario.

"I'm with ya'!" said Luigi.

Rawk had no idea what was coming. Mario and Luigi joined together and spin-jumped high into the air, directly above Rawk, then performed an incredibly blazing midair flip and descended a powerful strike. The crowd could've sworn they saw stars flash at that very moment, and the arena swallowed into silence once more. The Mario Bros. now stood together and faced Rawk, who struggled to stay afoot.

"This...can't be!" Rawk stuttered as he tried to inch himself closer to the Mario Bros., his voice dropping by the second. "I...Rawk Hawk...The champ...the undefeated master...I can't lose to such losers...!"

Finally, everything went black, and Rawk fell forward. Seconds after he hit the ring the entire arena exploded like it never had before. It was all so glorious Grubba almost felt tears well up in his eyes as he hurried onto the ring. The shower of confetti rained upon them as he wrapped Mario and Luigi in the embrace of the champion belt and then triumphantly hoisted their arms into the air. He had to take a breath, the crowd still screaming as loud as they could. Toad, Toadette, and Skip even had to fight the urge to jump onto the ring themselves.

"Folks, I feel like my eyes just popped out of my head!" Grubba beamed, the crowd hanging onto his every word. "Did I call it or what? This legendary battle will go down in history! Technique versus technique! Raw power versus raw power! A clash of superhumans! And the victors of this match for the ages...THE SUUPERRR MARIO BROS.! Congratulations, you two! Give them a hand, folks! The new champions of the Glitz Pit! THE SUPER MARIO BROS.!"

As the wild screaming continued, Toad, Toadette, and Skip couldn't hold it in any longer and joined the others in the ring. They were careful not to trip over Rawk, who was still lying out cold, though he appeared to be muttering something in his sleep. But no one was able to hear him.

...

Shortly afterward, Mario and Luigi met up with Grubba in his office to receive their prize money. It was large and furnished with two potted plants, a pair of sofas at the other end with a coffee table in-between, and a large cabinet on the right. This was the business side of the Glitz Pit. It was nice but not very glamorous, and it certainly wasn't exciting. In fact, Grubba, though still glowing from earlier, was sitting at his desk signing papers that were being given to him by a female Toad wearing glasses and a red suit. She had an apparent air of stiffness around her. Her cap was white with pink spots and she had a large and thick crescent-shape lock of blonde hair sticking out from underneath. In one arm she held a folder and in her other hand, a little pouch.

"And here are the champions now!" Grubba heralded. Mario and Luigi stood from the other side of his desk. "Boys, I'd like fer you to meet my assistant, the lovely and talented Miss Jolene. Me and the Glitz Pit would be nothing without her."

Jolene looked at Mario and Luigi with an apathetic look on her face that never seemed to change. Nonetheless, she walked over to them and shook their hands with a firm grip. "Nice to meet you Mr. and Mr. Mario," she said as she fixed her glasses; her tone was as emotionless as her expression. "Congratulations on your stunning victory. It was quite an upset, however unorthodox the circumstances may have been. But regardless, on behalf of the Glitz Pit I award you with this."

Jolene handed Mario the pouch. Inside were two star coins, which was the equivalent of two-hundred. It was the most coins they had ever received all at once. Mario and Luigi were quite pleased, especially since business had been a bit slow as of late. "Thank you," they both said.

"Now then," said Jolene, her expression altering just a bit, but not for the better, as she fixed her glasses again, "Mr. Grubba tells me that you won't be registering as official fighters of the Glitz Pit." She gave neither brother a chance to respond. "In that case I regret to inform you that you'll have to forfeit the championship title and the belt along with it."

Mario and Luigi had kind of figured that earlier, but while Luigi was mostly indifferent to the matter, Mario still felt bummed about it, especially about the belt. He had already kind of pictured it hanging on their bedroom wall. But in the end it didn't matter. They had make their mark in Glitz Pit history that nobody would soon forget.

"Sorry, sons, them's the rules," said Grubba with a sympathetic smile. "After all, what's a Glitz Pit without its champion? Now, are you absolutely sure there's nothing I can say to make you change yer minds?"

Mario shook his head with a mild look of regret. _Darn you, destiny,_ he thought. "We have a lot of other responsibilities back home."

"I hear ya'. A hero's job is never done. Real shame, though. I'd hate to lose two of the Pit's newest stars. But I know Rawk Hawk will be mighty thrilled to see you go. With you out of the picture, he'll snag his title back lickety-split. Speakin' of which, you might not want to be 'round when he comes to. Tends to hold onto grudges in a big way."

"Will do," said Luigi with haste in his voice, and tried to move Mario, to his annoyance, toward the door. "It's time we headed back now anyway."

"Well, thanks for everything," Mario said as he brushed Luigi off himself.

Just as the door opened and closed after the brothers, Jolene handed Grubba an important sheet of paper from her folder. "Now, Mr. Grubba, this one was just sent over by the tournament committee."

"Thank you, darlin'," Grubba said brightly as he jotted his signature on it. Something about it had him fired up. "Boy, this is turnin' out to be one dang-diggety year fer me, I'll tell you what."

...

After swimming dangerously through a frantically screaming fan mob in the lobby, the Mario Bros. and the Toads made it back outside. Toadette was so pumped she was punching and kicking the air and swinging her umbrella like a sword as if she were in the ring herself. Toad even worried that she might actually enlist herself some day. _And drag me along with her!_

"I wonder how many people back home watched the fight," Toadette mused as they made their cross over to Stewart, who was still standing diligently by the landing zone.

Luigi wasn't exactly thrilled by the thought. "Hopefully no one. I've had just about enough exposure in the spotlight for one day, thank you very much. Right now I just want to go home and relax."

A spell did sound kind of nice to Mario, and he couldn't wait to tell Peach about their trip. When they reached Stewart they all showed him their tickets, though the trip back to Rogueport was something they'd all rather avoid.

"Departing, are we?" Stewart asked, his large yellow lips curved into smile; they all knew why. He then took out a strange device with an antenna and several colored buttons. "What timing," he said. "The Cheep-Cheep Blimp from Rogueport just dropped off a group of passengers just a short time ago. I'll just summon it right back, and it'll be here in no time flat."

"Actually," said Mario, "if it's okay with you, we'd like to use our own mode of transportation."

Stewart paused and gave them all a very odd look, like he was taken aback or something. Apparently, this had never happened before. Who _wouldn't_ want to take a ride on the blimp? The look on his face alone said as much. "Your own mode?" he said with a slight chuckle. "What mode? None of you have wings as far as I can tell, so unless you plan on skydiving out of here, I suggest you wait for the blimp like everyone else does."

"Okay, Skip, do your thing."

Skip jumped off Mario's head and grew to giant size right before Stewart's stupefied eyes. The tiny Cheep-Cheep, no bigger than one of Skip's toes, stood in the giant Raven's huge shadow, so stunned his own hat actually jumped off his head. A few others who were around were transfixed.

"Take us home, Skip," said Mario after he, Luigi, and the Toads climbed on his back.

Many were watching. Skip spread his beloved wings, raced to the edge of the massive platform, and took off, leaving the wonder of Glitzville in his wake.

"So what are you guys going to do once we get back?" asked Toadette as they descended through the clouds, the view of the ocean appearing moments later.

"Well, the first thing _I'm_ going to do is pay a visit to Zach and Zeke and see if they can fix my hammer," said Mario as he looked at it. He still couldn't believe it cracked the way it did. "And then, Luigi, you and I have something very important we need to discuss again."

Luigi had a very strong feeling what about and it made him roll his eyes and sigh. "You can try, Mario, but the answer's still no."

* * *

**_Next chapter - The Mario Bros. and friends gather to discuss an upcoming worldwide event_**


	5. The Mushroom Grand Prix

_The Rainbow Star_

_**Chapter IV - The Mushroom Grand Prix  
**_

* * *

As it turned out, being champions of the Glitz Pit, whether you held the actual title or not, wasn't as prestigious as Mario and Luigi had thought. They had found this out when they arrived in the village after dropping off Toad and Toadette. Even though their father had been bragging to some of the other villagers about his boys' accomplishment, no one else really made a big deal out of it. But Henry and Mary, on the other hand, showered them with praise. And Mary, in fact, was so proud she even promised to have that special three-flavored shroom cake baked for them by tomorrow as a reward, which put Luigi in a very splendid mood.

After leaving their parent's house, the brothers, including Skip, arrived at the Hammer Bros.'. Mario felt a little nervous as he knocked on the door. Although he had every confidence that the Hammer Bros. could repair his cracked hammer, it was actually their reaction he was worried about. Zach and Zeke had a small tendency of becoming a little too attached to the things they created, especially if they were of remarkably high caliber. And their hammers certainly fit that bill. Couple that with the revelation that these hammers, and the metal they were forged from, were not as indestructible as they had all believed and it was bound to crush them like a crumbling wall of Brick Blocks.

"Hey, guys," said Zeke after answering the door. He invited them inside. "What's up?"

"Hi, Zeke," said Mario tentatively as he looked around. Zach appeared to be out at the moment, which he found to be somewhat fortuitous. "Um...I need to show you something, but you have to promise not to freak out."

"Show me what?"

Slowly, as he looked to Luigi for moral support, Mario took his hammer out and showed it to Zeke. Zeke instantly gasped with his hand over his mouth. He looked horrified, as though he were staring at a murder victim. Mario and Luigi cringed.

"Land sakes, Mario!" Zeke exclaimed as he snatched the hammer from him. His eyes were as big as saucers as he examined it. "What the heck happened?"

"Oh, it's a long story," said Mario, really preferring not to get into details. "Let's just say it happened in the heat of battle."

"You mean in the Glitz Pit, right?" Zeke said with a scrutinizing glare. "I'd like to know just what in blazes you were fighting over there, a pair of Iron Clefts or something? I just can't believe this. Zach and I forged these hammers to be invincible. Nothing should've been able to even scratch these, much less do this."

"But you can fix it for me, though, right?"

"Well, of course I can fix it, Mario," Zeke said shortly at Mario's perceived cluelessness, then gave the hammer another inspection. "The damage isn't too bad, so it should be a snap. I can have it restored within an hour or two at the most."

"Great, thanks," Mario said with a breath of relief. "Luigi and I have somewhere else to be right now, so I'll be back for it then."

"I'll be waiting. Now look, guys, I know Zach and I gave you these hammers to fight evil and whatnot, but next time could you at least try to be a little more careful with them?"

"We'll try," Mario replied as he and Luigi turned toward the door, while Zeke took Mario's hammer into the kitchen and down to their basement.

As Mario and Luigi saw themselves out, Mario wondered if he should've asked Zeke if he could use that new "ultra" metal he and Zach had excavated from the Ironshroom Mountains last winter in his hammer's repairs. The two still hadn't done anything with it yet and it was just sitting inside a locked safe in their basement. But upon realizing the can of worms that would've opened, he decided it was best he hadn't. _Maybe next time._

"So where are we going to now, Mario?" Luigi asked a little tiredly. "I want to go home and relax."

"To Yoshi and Birdo's," Mario replied.

"What for?" And the answer hit Luigi as suddenly as a Thunderbolt, and he stopped Mario in his tracks. "Hold it! Don't tell me you're going to try and get them involved in the Grand Prix, too."

"Of course!" Mario said enthusiastically. "It's the biggest event of the year, and I'm not going to let them miss out on this opportunity. You may be a giant stick-in-the-mud, Luigi, but Yoshi and Birdo certainly are not."

Luigi grumbled as he followed after Mario. Once they were outside the village, about halfway toward the great oak tree whose branches were spreading with new leaves, Mario had Skip transform. And from there, it was a very short trip to Dimble Forest.

...

Mario and Luigi glanced around as they and Skip landed at the thick base of Yoshi and Birdo's tree-house deep within the forest. What had previously been a cold, barren woodland that almost mirrored the forebodingness of the Boo Woods was now a rejuvenating verdant maze that was brimming with new life. Indeed, Mario, Luigi, and Skip could even see the sun reflecting brilliantly off the unfrozen surface of Blubble Lake through the trees.

"Again, Mario, I don't see why Ihave to be here for this," said Luigi. "Even if you get Yoshi and Birdo to agree, it's not going to change my mind."

"We'll see," said Mario. "Now march up those steps before I drag you up there myself."

They climbed the wooden stairs that wound up the tree and reached the house. It was no bigger than the Yoshi huts on Yoster Island. Inside was a small wooden eating table over by the end, a bookshelf that held a few books, and a single glass-paned window. And in the back was an extra room where a large straw nest and their personal belongings were kept. It was no Castle Toadstool, but Yoshi and Birdo truthfully felt more at home here in the wilderness. And with the revival of the great forest well underway, it had been the perfect time to return to it.

"Mushroom Grand Prix?" Yoshi blinked as he slurped up an apple from the large fruit basket he and Birdo were eating from. "What's that?"

"It's a kart-racing competition that's only held every two years," Mario explained. "I'll be entering, and I was hoping you two would like to join me."

"Just you?"

"That's right," Mario said as he threw Luigi a discontented stare. "As usual, Captain No-Fun over here is preferring to sit in the grandstands like a common spectator."

"Can I help it if I don't find it all that interesting?" Luigi asked as he folded his arms.

Mario looked at Yoshi and Birdo. "Do you see what I have to put up with?"

"Well, sorry, Mario," said Birdo as she began to peel an orange. "I don't know about Yoshi, but I think I'll be joining Luigi in those grandstands, as you say. This sounds more like a boy's sport, anyway. But don't worry, I'll be rooting for you."

"Gee, thanks," Mario said disappointedly. _Sure had her pegged wrong._ He sighed and looked at Yoshi. "What about you, Yoshi? You're literally my last hope, 'cause I really don't want to be only one of our circle out there. Where's the fun in that?" Mario realized he was putting pressure on him, but he was desperate.

"Don't worry," Yoshi told him. "Unlike these party-poopers, I actually think it sounds interesting. After all, every other big event we've been to so far had been a blast."

"You've only been to one," Birdo pointed out.

Yoshi simply rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I'd be thrilled to join you, so tell me more about it."

"Now that's what I like to hear," Mario beamed. "Okay, here's how it works. The Grand Prix is worldwide event, which means dozens of people from all over the world will be gathering to there. But from those dozens, only eight are chosen to actually compete. The tournament itself consists of seven courses, each but the first and last chosen at random, that are grouped into four rounds: Mushroom, Flower, Star, and Special. And each one is more challenging than the last. The goal of every course is to complete three laps before the other racers do. And then at the end of each race the racers are tallied, with the racer finishing last eliminated from the rest of the tournament. This goes on until the final course where the last three remaining finalists battle it out for the gold, silver, and bronze, the grand prize, and the championship title. And there you have it. That's the basic structure of the Grand Prix."

Yoshi nodded brightly. "Wow, this sounds way better than the Winter Ball. And it sounds easy enough, too. Finish three laps before everyone else. That's all there is to it?"

"Not quite," said Mario, and the others could he was especially excited about this part. "Finishing three laps sounds easy, yes, but actually doing it is a whole 'nother story. You see, every course is littered with Item Boxes that grant you special tools and weapons you can use to aid yourself and put the hurt on your rivals. Items like Mushrooms to boost your speed, Banana Peels to trip the other racers up, the Red Shell, my personal favorite, to knock out the racer ahead of you, and many more. I won't lie to you now, these races can get pretty chaotic. But that, my friend, is where all the fun lies. Skill, timing, and a little bit of luck are the keys to scoring victory. And I don't want you to worry. It's nowhere near as dangerous as it all sounds. Every kart is installed with special safeties that protect the driver from harm. You know, from things like getting nailed by an item or falling off the track entirely. It's completely safe."

"Boy, it sounds like you two are really missing out on something," Yoshi said to Birdo and Luigi as he stuffed his mouth with a couple of grapes. Neither bothered to comment. Just one more thing, though, what are karts?"

"They're kind of like miniature cars, only simpler in design and much easier to drive. As soon as I find a way to do so, I'll teach you."

"Then I guess that everything," Yoshi said. "Now how do we enter? Do we call someone, sign something, or what?"

"For residents of the Mushroom Kingdom there's a place in Mushroom City where you need to register. Registration starts at the end of the week, I believe, and all of us — and that includes you, too, Luigi — will be heading down there, sort of like a field trip. The competition itself opens in the middle of next month, so we'll have plenty of time to prepare ourselves 'til then."

"Ooh, now a trip down to the big city sounds like fun," said Birdo. "Can't wait for that."

"Excellent," said Mario. "So, we'll let you two get back to your meal now. I'll fill you in on some more of the details when me meet up again, but don't be afraid to come to me if you have any more questions, okay? See you both 'til then."

Yoshi and Birdo waved farewell as the Mario Bros. and Skip left down the stairs. Then Birdo suddenly saw that the fruit basket was nearly empty and gave Yoshi, who was smiling quite shamefully, a searing look.

...

"You're impossible," said Mario as they walked through the door of their house. They had just returned from Zach and Zeke's, but had been bickering since having left Dimble Forest. And, of course, it was over Luigi's refusal to race in the Grand Prix. Frustrated by his brother's stubbornness, Mario hung up his freshly restored hammer and turned to Luigi, who was going through the mail he'd just pulled from their box at the table with Skip. Luigi looked as though he wasn't even paying attention to him.

"I gotta' say, Luigi," Mario said as he pulled out a chair across him, "it is a wonder how a square like you managed to snag a fireball like Daisy. It really boggles the mind."

"Yes, well," Luigi said dismissively, then showed Mario a yellow envelope bearing a flower seal. "Speaking of whom, look who just sent me a letter." Mario didn't seem to care much, but Luigi heartily opened his letter and read it. "Good news!" he said. "She's coming down next month. She says she wants to be here with us when the Grand Prix opens."

"Oh, that's right," said Mario pointedly. "Daisy's a big fan of the tournament. Gee, I wonder how she's going to feel when she finds out that Yoshi and I are competing while you're not."

Luigi sighed heavily. This was really starting to get annoying. "Enough, Mario," he told him. "You're starting to sound really desperate now and it's embarrassing. I'm not racing in the Grand Prix, and there's nothing you can really say or do that will make me change my mind, got it? Now for the last time, let it go."

But Mario refused to let it go. He was nothing if not tenacious. There just had to be a way to bend Luigi to his will. And then, as he looked at the letter Luigi was re-reading, it hit him. But Mario was torn. This idea brewing in his head was not without danger. On the one hand, it was sure to work, but on the other, he feared he'd be crossing a line with Luigi. Mario weighed the consequences in his mind for only a few seconds and then went for it.

"Last chance, Luigi," Mario said as he stood up. "Will you enter the Grand Prix with me and Yoshi?"

Luigi looked at Mario as if he hadn't heard him the last time. "No."

"Alright, then." And Mario moved over to the phone and picked it up.

Luigi bit. "What are you doing?"

"Something you've been too afraid to do for the longest time. I'm sorry it had to come to this." Mario looked straight at Luigi. "Here's the deal, Luigi. If you don't agree to race with us, I'm going to call up Daisy right now and tell her that you are planning to visit _her_ all the way in Sarasa Land by yourself for about, say, three weeks."

Luigi gasped as if their entire house had suddenly filled with Boos. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh, you bet your cap and mustache I would. And just for good measure, I'm also going to give Mom a little call and have her cancel her plans of baking that special cake for us, maybe even request she rip up the recipe while she's at it."

"You're bluffing!"

"Try me."

Luigi sat there quivering in his seat, his heart rapidly thumping in chest. He felt as if Mario had just struck him in the gut with his hammer. He should've seen this coming. The walls were closing in on him. There was no way to escape. Time seemed to spin out of control. And then finally, as Mario dialed the first number, Luigi slammed his angry fists on the table so hard he startled Skip, and said, "ALRIGHT, FINE! I'll enter the stupid race!" Luigi then dropped his face flat on the table. Everything around him felt as if it had crumbled to dust.

"Game, set, match," said Mario as he hung the phone up. He knew that Luigi was going to be furious with him for a long time but felt it was worth it, maybe even necessary, in the end. "Glad to have you on board, bro. And I know you're ticked, and you have every reason to be, but believe me, you'll thank me for this someday. Now, I'm going to go take a little nap upstairs before I head on over to the castle to tell the princess about our day, okay?"

Luigi didn't answer. He kept his face buried and pressed against the table. He was like a statue.

"Okay," Mario said and headed up the stairs. He took one last look at Luigi and thought that until the Grand Prix, for his own safety, he should sleep with one eye open.

* * *

**_So sorry for the long delay, but I've been putting a lot of time and effort into getting this chapter just right. Believe it or not, the beginning was the hardest part._**


	6. First Rivals

_The Rainbow Star_

_**Chapter V - First Rivals  
**_

* * *

The Mario Bros., Princess Peach, Toad, Toadette, Yoshi, and Birdo had all decided to ride the Wiggler Bus to Mushroom City once the end of the had week had come. So far, it had been a pleasant trip if a little lengthy. In fact, by the time the bus reached the Mushroom Bridge, all but Peach, Luigi, and Toad had fallen asleep out of boredom. While Toad read a book he'd brought from home and Luigi stared out his window, Peach watched Mario, whom she sat next to, snoozing away, with Skip nestled in her lap. Mario was grinning in his sleep. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was dreaming about. In this moment of placidity, Peach gazed out her own window and watched as the eastern sea passed them by. She was lost in a dream of her own, of the moment when her father, King Giles, would at last awaken.

King Giles had remained in his dormant sleep ever since he was rescued after that fierce battle against Wart in the Boo Woods last winter. The years of imprisonment he'd suffered within the void called the Dark Zone had taken a serious toll on his mind and body. The curse Wart, an evil sorcerer from another dimension, had placed on King Giles upon their escape to obey his will had only worsened his condition. But in the end the Mario Bros., aided by Yoshi, Merlon, Prince Peasley, and most surprising of all, Bowser himself, were able to break the curse and free the king. And though the entire experience had left him in critical condition, months of recovery had greatly improved his health. After signing up for the Grand Prix, they were all going to visit him at the hospital.

...

Everyone was wide awake once they had arrived in the city. There were advertisements for the Grand Prix on every billboard they passed. Anticipation for the up-coming tournament was building up indeed. It certainly was for Yoshi and especially Mario, who was practically on fire. Luigi, on the other hand, remained somewhat ambivalent to the whole thing. After all, it was hard to feel enthusiastic about something you'd been blackmailed into.

"Boy, that took longer than I thought," said Toadette as she and the others stepped off the Wiggler Bus at its third stop. She stretched her arms and then straightened her back. "The end of the month can't get here soon enough."

The end of the month she was referring to was when the new Hub Project currently in progress that would link every major location in the Mushroom Kingdom to Toad Town with Warp Pipes was scheduled to be completed, thereby allowing its citizens to travel between places within seconds.

"At least the rec-center is only a few blocks from here," said Mario as Skip buried himself under his cap. He then led the group along with Peach, who was using her new umbrella to shade herself from the sun.

The recreation center, which was not a large building, was were registration was being held. Once they arrived, they were told by the front staff to head for the gymnasium. It was just up ahead, past the small cafeteria. Mario was still fired up from that dream he had on the bus. And as he glanced at Luigi as they approached the wooden double doors at the end of the hall, he knew it was only a matter of time before he felt the same. But then, as soon as they entered the gymnasium, those glorious flames expired in a puff of smoke. Mario and Luigi stared wide-eyed across the spacious room in sudden horror. Standing over at the fold-up table in the center were Wario and Waluigi, their cruel and greedy cousins.

"Hey, aren't those your cousins?" Peach asked the stunned brothers, having just learned about them last Christmas.

"Wait, you guys have cousins?" Toadette blinked. "How come you never told us about them?"

"Spend five minutes with them, then you'll see why," Luigi told her gloomily as they all crossed inside.

Wario and Waluigi had noticed their arrival and were grinning broadly, as they so very often did. Wario's massive jawline and big blocky teeth were unsettling. But despite that, the resemblance Peach and the others found between them and the Mario Bros., right down to their style of clothing and headwear, uncanny. Although, it wasn't in a very flattering way. More or less resembling fiendish doppelgangers of the brothers, Wario was short, fat, and had a thick, black, thunderbolt-shaped mustache, while Waluigi was tall, skinny, and had a thin, black, pointy mustache. Both of them also had large pink noses and pointy ears.

"Wario, Waluigi," Mario greeted apathetically.

"Well, well, if it ain't the super-zero — I mean, heroes, of the Mushroom Kingdom," said Wario boorishly. "Long time no see. And I also see you've brought along your little super squad, too, including the lovely Princess Peach." Wario then rudely shoved Mario and Luigi aside with his broad muscular arms and took Peach by the hand. Mario didn't like it one bit. "A pleasure to finally meet you face-to-face, princess," he said suavely. "I'm Wario, and this is my brother, Waluigi."

"It's nice to finally meet you, too," Peach said, then hesitated with, "Mario and Luigi have told me some interesting tales about you."

"I'm sure they have," Wario said, hiding the hotness his voice as he shot both brothers with a grimace. "All bad, I suppose?"

"Well, to be honest —"

"Okay!" Mario quickly cut her off, then chuckled nervously, "I don't think we need to get into that." Then, eager to change the subject, he noticed the two papers Wario and Waluigi were holding. They appeared to be the sign-up forms, though neither had been filled out yet. "So, you guys are entering the big tournament again?"

"Again?" Peach asked. "You've competed before?"

"Yeah," Mario said before Wario could answer. "These two entered the previous tournament two years ago and lost on the first two courses."

"Hey, at least _we_ made it to the actual tournament, chump," Wario spat. "Can you say the same for yourself?" Mario shrank a little before him. "Didn't think so."

"Things will be different this time, Wario," Mario said more assertively. "If anybody in this room has a shot at winning the Grand Prix, it's the three of us."

"Dream on!" Wario declared as he and Mario got in each other's faces. "It's _us_!"

"Actually, your BOTHwrong!" said a sudden and familiar voice. "It's _ME_!"

Everybody quickly turned around in shock. Bowser Jr., the young Koopaling of Bowser, was standing by the doors, flanked by two Koopatrols. Without hesitation, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Birdo, the four members of the Royal Guard appointed by Toadsworth, jumped in front of Princess Peach and the Toads. Bowser Jr.'s mouth curved into a little smile as he approached, his entourage remaining by the doors. His dark, beady little eyes were mostly fixed on Peach, whom he believed to be his mother due to his father's influence.

"Hi, Mama Peach," Bowser Jr. greeted kindly. "It's nice to see you again." Then he gave the others, particularly the Mario Bros., a narrowed look. "You guys not so much."

Noticing how shaken Peach was in Bowser Jr.'s presence, Mario tightened his grip on his hammer. He hadn't forgotten how Bowser Jr. almost made off with her in the Beanbean Kingdom last winter and how he wasn't there to stop him. If it hadn't been for Birdo and Prince Peasley, it could've been disastrous. "Pretty gutsy of you to show up here after all the trouble you'd caused," he told Bowser Jr. "You know the police are still looking for you?"

"Big deal. It's not like they can do anything to me, not unless they want Papa and the entire Koopa Troop army to raid this place. Besides, I didn't come here to make trouble."

"Then why are you here?" And then the answer quickly dawned on him. "Wait, you can't possibly be thinking about entering the Grand Prix!"

"Bingo!"

"You can't do that."

"Why not?" Bowser Jr. said testily.

"Well, besides the obvious fact that you're Bowser's kid and a wanted criminal, you're not even a year old. And the rules clearly state that no one under the the age of eighteen can compete."

"Wait, is that true?" Yoshi suddenly blinked. Startled, Mario briefly looked back at him before Bowser Jr.'s fiery temper drew his attention back.

"Oh yeah?" the Koopaling growled as he clenched his little fists. "We'll just see about that! No stupid rule is going to keep me from doing what I want to do, so step aside!"

Bowser Jr. stormed past the others and up to the table he was barely able to see over. The two Toads who'd been sitting there the whole time were cowering under it. "Hey!" Bowser Jr. snapped, and they jumped back into their chairs. "I want to sign up for the tournament."

"I'm sorry, um...sir," the Toad on the left said in a quivering voice, "but I'm afraid the rules won't allow it. You're much too young."

Unacceptable! Bowser Jr. stomped his foot hard against the floor. It was quite loud and strong for someone of his size. "I don't care! I want to join! Let me in, or else I'll call my Papa and have him come down here himself! You don't want that, trust me!"

Frightened, the two Toads became almost as white as Boos. They actually seemed as though they were going to reconsider their decision.

"He's bluffing!" Mario told them. "Bowser's not going to waste his time by coming down here and cause a fuss just to let his kid race in some tournament."

"You stay out of this, Mario!" Bowser Jr. scowled. "You don't know my Papa. He knows how important this is to me. And I can have him down here in less than an hour, too. So, what's it gonna be?"

Still looking pale with fright and sweating bullets, despite the Mario Bros. being right there, the Toads quietly consorted with each other, then smiled anxiously. "On second thought," the one on the right spoke quickly as he handed Bowser Jr. a sign-up form, "upon careful consideration, we've decided that you seem mature for your age, so we'll make an exception for you this one time. Here you go. No need to call your papa now, okay?"

"That's more like it," Bowser Jr. said, then stuck his tongue out at Mario.

Most displeased, Mario marched himself, Luigi, and Yoshi over to the Toads and obtained forms for themselves. Feeling ignored and forgotten, Wario and Waluigi quickly joined them to fill out their own forms as everyone else began to do theirs. Peach, Birdo, Toad, and Toadette hung in the background observing the six would-be competitors racing each other to see who could finish first. Tension was indeed thick, almost as thick as a thundercloud. Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Bowser Jr., Wario, and Waluigi had the table surrounded. Bowser Jr. had even booted one of the Toads from his chair so he could see over it. He and Mario were at ones at odds the most. To them it was as if they were the only ones in the room.

"DONE!" They all shouted at each other as they handed their forms back. It was incredible to those were watching. They had all finished at the exact same time. Most of them, however, were too caught up in themselves to care. There was a certain and overpowering bitterness in the air.

"How 'bout that," Luigi chuckled in an effort to dispel the animosity that was engulfing them. "A six-way tie. Wouldn't it be funny if this happened again at the actual tournament?"

Bowser Jr. snorted in Mario's direction. "The only thing that'll be funny is the look on your face, Mario, when I smoke you and the rest of these bozos in front of the entire world." Then he took one last sweep at those around him and said, "I think I've had just about enough of you people for one day, so I'm going home."

Bowser Jr. hopped down from the chair and proceeded toward the door, where the two Koopatrols had been standing diligently. Stopping midway, he turned to look at Peach. "Bye for now, Mama Peach. I look forward to seeing you at the tournament and watching me beat the pants off the Mario Bros."

"Hold it, Bowser Jr.!" said Mario as he came back over. "Why are you doing this? What are you and Bowser up to?"

"We're not up to anything. I'm simply doing this just for fun, that's all." But Bowser Jr. could tell by the incredulous look in Mario's eyes that he had a hard time believing that. He just smiled and said, "I guess I'll be seeing you again at the trial eliminations. Try not to chicken out before then, okay?"

And with that, the three Koopas departed.

"Let's blow this joint, too," said Wario to Waluigi, then louder for everyone else to hear, "Too our big, golden castle and practice our superior skills on our very own track! Later, pee-wees!"

After watching Wario and Waluigi leave laughing, Mario just stood there staring at the doors, with the others waiting behind him. At first, he seemed uncertain about what had just happened, how unexpected of a turn this trip had taken. But then, with a competitive smirk, he made a fist and simply said, "Gentlemen, the game is on."

* * *

_**I'll try to be a little speedier with the next one.**_


End file.
